purple grackle

noun

: a variety (Quiscalus quiscula stonei) of the common grackle that is found mainly in the coastal eastern U.S. and is distinguished by the variable, mainly purplish or bluish iridescence of the plumage

I love to see a lone blackbird, like a purple grackle, in all his iridescent glory on my feeder, but if my backyard is covered in them, I'm glad when they move along.

—Arlene Neal, The News-Topic (Lenoir, North Carolina), 30 Jan. 2013

"Purple" grackles and "bronzed" grackles trend toward those iridescent hues and formerly were considered two separate species. The purple form is found mostly along the Atlantic Coast, and the bronzed in the interior U.S.

—Joe Prentice, The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 12 Oct. 2007

also : florida grackle

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!